Not only did the Red Sea Ranges cruise ship have a pure white paint, but it also used a large amount of stainless steel and electroplated stainless steel. Compared to the European luxury cruise ships of 1891, the ship did not have the defect of being seen from afar. In the absence of macromolecular materials, even luxury cruise ships would use the wood paint method. After the China's characteristic paint was improved in modern times, the painted wood was as smooth as a mirror. Combined with ordinary high-polished stainless steel, it looked elegant and exquisite. Combined with electroplated stainless steel, it even had a luxurious air.
To provide a venue for activities, the Red Sea Ranges traveled along the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the North Atlantic Ocean. After such a long journey, the whole ship was still smooth and delicate after a little cleaning, fully reflecting the style of the industrial age. Britain was still probably the most powerful country in Europe, but the air pollution brought by the industry mixed with the rainy weather in Britain. Not only was London a foggy city, but the whole of Britain seemed to always give the impression of being gloomy. The young members of the European royal families loved the cruise ship that weighed more than 2,000 tons. When the ship ran out of the rain clouds that shrouded the United Kingdom and appeared in the bright sunshine, the young nobles all had smiles on their faces.
The sun also made Wei Kun feel refreshed. After coming to such a gloomy Britain, Wei Kun, who was used to the sun, felt very uncomfortable. Not too far away from the cruise ship, the British Navy accompanied it. Wei Kun decided to turn a blind eye to these defenders. With their presence, Wei Kun felt much more at ease.
At first, there were less than twenty members of the royal family who came to attend the meeting with Wei Kun. Now there were more than forty people on board. The young and not-so-young nobles of other countries came to join in the fun. This time, the people on board were young people between the ages of ten and thirty. Some people were not able to board the young people's ship.
"I now feel that it's really good to be an administrator." The British Royal Highness sighed sincerely. The British royal family also had their own cruise ship, but the Queen of India herself did not use it because of her age. The cruise ship looked small and shabby compared to the China cruise ship. Even so, it was a small cruise ship. Even if the Queen of India did not use it, these young British nobles were not qualified to use it. The fact that Wei Kun used official business to mobilize the cruise made these seemingly delicate and noble members of the royal family feel a strong sense of envy.
Wei Kun didn't really care about this. Whether or not he used the cruise ship, the only pressure on Wei Kun was whether or not he could complete his diplomatic mission. If he successfully completed his diplomatic mission, all his actions would become logical. On the other hand, everything that Wei Kun did was a waste of public funds. Now that the diplomatic work had entered its final stage, both China and Britain had revealed their final bottom line. The British would not spend a penny more for the Boers, and were adamantly opposed to China's demand that the British should swallow up the Boer lands.
The Princess of Denmark brought a cocktail to Wei Kun and the British Royal Highness. "Your Highness Wei Kun, this ship is amazing. Can we drive to Spain to get some sun? "
Wei Kun looked at the princess sympathetically. Although the European royal family had some prestigious names, in fact, their real status was directly proportional to their financial resources. The Min dynasty had a strong economy. Even in a seemingly wild area like East Africa, there were many profitable businesses. Buying a cruise ship for official use, handing it over to the Mediterranean cruise company to operate when they were free, and transferring it for official use when needed was a cost-effective choice.
The young people in front of him did not inherit the family property, or had no chance to inherit the family property. With the title of Prince or Duke, they could only go to the first-class cabin. It was impossible to have an independent cruise ship.
"Probably not in Spain. If we dare to go, the British Navy will probably escort us back to London." Wei Kun laughed. Looking at the disappointed expression of the Princess of Denmark, Wei Kun continued to laugh, "If you want to see exotic scenery, I can receive your visit in Sudan. East Africa has many problems, but East Africa does not lack sunshine. "
"Oh? Are you inviting me to Sudan for a visit? "The Princess of Denmark asked with some surprise.
Wei Kun frowned at first, then walked to a higher position and shouted to the royal family and nobles, "Everyone, please be quiet!"
After interacting with these guys for a few days, Wei Kun's opinion of this group of people was that their reaction to discipline was a little worse than the students in China's top high schools, but it was not a huge difference. However, although they would gather for training, the choices they made after gathering were far different from the students in China's top high schools. At least Wei Kun felt that the Chinese students did not have a strong tendency to be self-centered like the European royal families.
It was similar to what Wei Kun thought. As soon as he shouted, the guys who were drinking and chatting temporarily quieted down. Wei Kun shouted in French, "Everyone, I am now the governor of Sudan's three counties, and can be considered a local official. And I have no plans to leave East Africa in a short period of time, so I personally welcome everyone to travel or invest in Sudan. Whether you are here as individuals, as representatives of your families, as representatives of your families, or as officials of the country, I welcome everyone to Sudan. Sudan and East Africa are vast and beautiful places, with scenery and animals that you have never seen before, and there are plenty of opportunities to make money. I am a peace-loving person, and I am a person who is willing to share business interests with everyone. So, I welcome everyone to Sudan. "
When the royal family and nobles heard that Wei Kun was so blatant in soliciting customers, they felt that this attitude was not like that of a prince of China, but very similar to the bankers of the Exchange. However, while Wei Kun's words created doubts, it also allowed the nobles to see an opportunity. Wei Kun himself had a 'territory,' and even the nobles who did not do any chores had heard of the great success of China's alfalfa plantation in Sudan.
At this moment, Wei Kun added, "Of course, please wait until I leave Europe before thinking about going to Sudan. If I don't return to Sudan myself, you don't have to expect me to receive you in Sudan."
There was a burst of polite laughter. When Wei Kun returned to his seat, the young people continued to eat, drink, blow, and laugh with the people they liked. The Danish princess asked Wei Kun with bright eyes, "Can I really be invited to Sudan?"
Wei Kun nodded and said, "Of course, Your Royal Highness. We welcome all our friends to Sudan. Not only can you travel, but you can also invest. More importantly, we're still hiring people over there. If someone from Denmark is willing to work in Sudan, we can also talk about it. As long as the specialty is right and the price is right, we welcome all those who are willing to make money to Sudan. "
Without waiting for the Danish princess to answer, the British Royal Highness hurriedly interrupted and asked, "Can Britain also invest?"
"Of course we can invest. Why are you worried that Britain can't invest? "Wei Kun questioned the British Royal Highness.
"Is there a lower limit to investment?" The Danish princess asked before the British Royal Highness could speak.
Looking at the princess's eager expression as she talked to Wei Kun, Wei Kun smiled and said, "I will send someone to provide it to you in the form of documents. Our service has always been very serious."
There were actually many entertainment facilities on the cruise ship. Although they were all eating, drinking, and chatting, they could sit on the chairs on the deck, on the sofa in the room, or on the swing in the entertainment area. Everyone looked for the person they liked, or played cards with various small groups, or played hoops, or played shooting with toy guns and other entertainment programs.
The Danish princess pulled Wei Kun to a corner when no one was paying attention. The girl closed her eyes slightly, raised her face, and moved her lips closer. Wei Kun did not dislike this pretty girl. But he still said, "I am married."
The girl opened her eyes with some anger and whispered to Wei Kun, "Shut up! Wei Kun. Don't talk about this now. "
Although Wei Kun had long felt that this girl was interested in him, he also thought about refusing, but he did not want to refuse. In the end, when it really came to this, Wei Kun actually felt like cowering in his heart. The girl saw that Wei Kun was indecisive, so she put her arms around Wei Kun's neck and took the initiative to kiss him. Wei Kun did not expect to encounter such a thing in his lifetime. He was completely stunned. Just when his mind was about to focus on something, the girl let go of Wei Kun, turned around, and ran away.
Looking at the girl's back, Wei Kun was dumbfounded. He could not figure out what was going on. Before Wei Kun could recover, the British Royal Highness appeared quietly next to Wei Kun again. He was holding a glass of absinthe in his hand. He first sniffed it gently, then said, "Are you really going to let us invest in East Africa?"
"When did you come over?" Wei Kun asked bluntly.
"Oh. I came over when you were kissing. But in less than a minute, I saw that you were done. "The British Royal Highness replied as if nothing had happened.
"Is this kind of thing common in Europe?" Wei Kun continued to ask bluntly.
This question made the British Royal Highness show an indescribable smile on his face. He patted Wei Kun on the shoulder, "I don't know what the situation is in China in this regard. What I want to say is, brother, this is Europe. "
Wei Kun did not speak, because he almost used the joke of the Old Wang next door to scold the British Royal Highness. But on second thought, he held back. After holding back for a moment, Wei Kun turned the topic back to the issue of investment, "I have an opinion about the British investment. I don't know how you are going to support the Boers to make trouble for us. I promise you, we will make the British suffer as much as the Boers give us. "
The proud expression on the British Royal Highness' face of 'I knew you would say that' made Wei Kun feel that the other party might not be useless. Sure enough, the British Royal Highness laughed and said, "Why don't you understand? We spent 100 million pounds in Southern Africa. We don't have any more money for this meaningless war. I believe some people will want to use the Boers to disrupt the situation in the region. But Your Royal Highness, you don't know how stubborn the Boers are. The heads of those Dutch are made of granite. Even if you hit them with a hammer, you won't be able to get a different result! "
Wei Kun was personally inclined to agree with this view, but it was very dangerous to use private conversations as a source of information. The Min dynasty intelligence agencies had a very low rating for private conversations. In this international environment where the strong preyed on the weak, the only thing that was trustworthy was strength. The Min dynasty maintained this attitude from beginning to end, and they were rewarded handsomely.
"I can't believe that the British will not provide a large number of weapons to the Boers." Wei Kun still insisted on the official position of the East African Administrative Region.
The British Royal Highness sighed, "We do not advocate that you change the border. But we will not oppose you to cross the border to pursue the attackers. At this point, Your Royal Highness, do you still not understand? "
This sentence made Wei Kun feel that the use of the cruise ship had finally achieved something. If the British really did not oppose the Zulu cross-border war in East Africa, the problem would be much easier. The East African Administrative Region also did not want to destroy the Boers. The British were already fighting so hard, and the East African Administrative Region full of black members may not be better than the British team. More importantly, this was a very expensive business. The East African Administrative Region only wanted the Rand gold mine and to ensure a strong influence in the Zulu Kingdom. As for the land in Southern Africa, the East African Administrative Region did not lack land.
The two sides chatted for a while. At least the British Royal Highness himself did not intend to fight with China. If Southern Africa could be stabilized as he recommended, the British Empire would at least get the Kimberley.
The yacht set out in the early hours of the morning and returned to the port when night fell. Letting the young people spend the night on the boat would inevitably lead to the risk of someone getting drunk and falling overboard. Wei Kun, who initially considered this, now found a greater danger. This was Europe, not conservative China. Thinking back to Grace, the Marchioness who took the initiative to follow Wang Mingshan, Wei Kun now understood that it was not because of Wang Mingshan's amazing charm, or because Wang Mingshan himself was lustful. This was the local ethos in Europe.
Back at the station, Wei Kun talked to Wang Mingshan overnight about the information he had obtained. Wang Mingshan pieced together the contents of the previous negotiations with this information and quickly came to the conclusion that the information was' consistent '. With a conclusion, the problem was easy to solve. In the treaty, the East African Administrative Region recognized the Boer state, and added a clause that 'the East African Administrative Region and the Cape Town Colony have the obligation to fight against any action that violates or changes the territorial boundaries stipulated in the existing treaty'.
The next day, the treaty was taken again. The British read it carefully several times and agreed with these conditions. Everyone did not talk about those topics that were too explicit after they were said. After signing and stamping, the treaty would come into force a month later.
At the thought of returning to East Africa to continue working, Wei Kun suddenly found that he did not have the enthusiasm to run back to Sudan and start working as soon as he came to Europe. Wei Kun once felt that the air in London was unbearably filthy, and Wei Kun criticized the British industrial level and urban construction for being very backward. After spending so many days in such a terrible place, when Wei Kun was about to leave, he actually found that he was a little nostalgic.
It was not the United Kingdom that made him feel nostalgic, but the familiar industrialized society that made Wei Kun feel nostalgic. Letting him return to the wilderness of East Africa again, Wei Kun felt very uncomfortable in his heart. Even the 'kiss over the wall' that made Wei Kun feel a little guilty towards his wife made Wei Kun feel inexplicably nostalgic. He even had the impulse to do as the Romans do in Europe. Even if her appearance was far from the point of putting the moon to shame, the identity of the royal family could probably give the Danish girl extra points in psychological satisfaction.
With such a reluctant mood, Wei Kun boarded the ship. The route chosen for this cruise was the Mediterranean Sea, and the eight battleships that escorted it did not accompany it when it set off. The ship that came to pick up the ship were two five-thousand-ton cruisers that came through the Suez Canal. The escort battleship fleet left without saying goodbye and disappeared without a trace. Wei Kun admired the Navy for taking advantage of the opportunity.
"Secretary Wang, I think we should give our comrades in East Africa two months of vacation every year. If we don't go back to Asia, I always feel that everyone's mentality will become very bad. It's really hard in Africa. "Wei Kun did not praise the Navy, but spoke his own thoughts.
"I think it's okay. But they can't take a vacation at the same time. As long as we give them two months of vacation, they will definitely choose to go back during the Spring Festival. We can't play the empty fort strategy in two months. "Wang Mingshan supported Wei Kun to some extent.
"I think we can invite the families of those comrades who stayed in Africa to Africa during the Spring Festival. On one hand, it can let everyone reunite. On the other hand, it can also let the families of the comrades come out and see the world. Travel thousands of miles, read thousands of books. "Wei Kun put forward his opinion.
Wang Mingshan nodded again and again. "This is good! This is good! The question is whether there is enough money. "
Wei Kun replied confidently, "If it is to provide travel reimbursement for comrades who have worked in East Africa for more than three years, I think the money is not a problem."
The two only discussed for more than a day. A cruise ship and two warships were anchored in Italy. Someone invited Wei Kun to visit various places of interest in Florence, the capital of art. Wang Mingshan disappeared. Even though Wei Kun felt that he was very self-restrained, he could not help but curse Wang Mingshan in his heart. This guy took the opportunity to run back to Italy to visit the black market lady and her child. Wei Kun could only look at the various works of art. If he knew it would be like this, Wei Kun would have invited the Princess of Denmark to travel to Italy with him.
Wang Mingshan did not care what Wei Kun thought. He went straight to Grace's house with a heart full of anxiety. Outside the iron fence, he saw a blanket under the beautiful fig tree at the door. A little thing was playing with its mother on it. Whether it was the child or the woman he was familiar with, both made Wang Mingshan inexplicably excited. Then, the military governor, who was theoretically the ruler of nearly ten million square kilometers of land, just stood at the door, unable to move.
Grace picked up the child and ran to the door with a joyful expression. She opened the iron gate for Wang Mingshan and said, "It's great that you're back!"
Wang Mingshan hugged the mother and son in his arms. The warm touch warmed Wang Mingshan's heart. He said excitedly, "You've worked hard."
Perhaps because he had never been hugged so roughly before, the little thing first struggled a few times, then began to cry in protest. Grace did not care about her son. She just said, "You've worked hard," and Grace hugged Wang Mingshan and burst into tears. No matter how much determination she had, no matter how many difficulties she could endure. Marquess Grace fully felt that she was a woman who needed to be loved.
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